Raw deal for Lingayats? Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah denies veteran leader Shamanur's claim

'Many (Lingayat officers) haven’t been given (good posts). Our community and its officers are facing trouble,' Shamanur had said.

Veteran Congress lawmaker Shamanur Shivashankarappa’s claim that Lingayat officers are getting a raw deal under his party’s government has created a stir even as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday denied it. 

Shamanur, 92, made his grouse public at an event on Thursday, making it significant as he heads the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, a body that represents the dominant community. He repeated his stand on Friday. “I’ve said the truth. Many (Lingayat officers) haven’t been given (good posts). Our community and its officers are facing trouble,” he said. 

Ruling out Shamanur’s claim, Siddaramaiah pointed out that there are seven Lingayat ministers in his Cabinet. “How can there be injustice? There’s no way there’ll be injustice. Under Congress, no religion or caste will face injustice,” he said. 

Home Minister G Parameshwara said postings of officers are not on the basis of their caste. "Postings are based on performance, capability, honesty and pro-people work,” he said, adding that any anomaly will be addressed by the government. 

The Veerashaiva-Lingayat community is estimated to form about 16% of the state’s population, making it an influential group whose clout is on a par with the Vokkaligas who make up for about 15%. 

Some in the Congress are worried about the impact of Shamanur’s claim given that the party made a dent into the BJP’s Lingayat support base during the 2023 Assembly polls. 

Siddaramaiah’s deputy DK Shivakumar did not comment saying he wasn’t aware of what Shamanur had said. 

But Women & Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, a Lingayat, said she was aware of the issue raised by Shamanur. “I’ll talk about it with those concerned. The fact that we won 135 seats means that people of all sections supported us,” she said, adding that there are 39 Lingayat MLA in Congress. 

Senior BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal backed Shamanur. "It was due to Lingayats' support that Congress got 135 seats. But Lingayats have been completely neglected in the government," he said.

Channagiri Congress MLA Basavaraju Shivaganga also endorsed Shamanur’s view on Lingayat officers. 

On Friday, Shamanur also said the demand for a Lingayat CM was “still alive” and that the community need not settle for the post of a deputy CM.

“If Lingayats unite, then we can have a Lingayat CM," Shivaganga said. "Even in constituencies reserved for SC/STs, Lingayats are strong. If Lingayat MLAs demonstrate unity, then undoubtedly we’ll have a CM.”